US3687291A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Valveless pump for an aquarium
Assignee: Metaframe Corp
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Filing: 1970-08-19
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Granted: 1972-08-29
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Expires: 1990-08-19
Abstract
Abstract A valveless pump for an aquarium having a portion suitably disposed with respect to the aquarium tank for drawing the aquarium water into the pump. The pump includes a reciprocating piston which issues a jet of aquarium water from the pump into a tube for flow back to the body of aquarium water within the tank. The pump cooperates with a filtering device for clearing the aquarium water, wherein the aquarium water may pass through the filtering device before or after the pumping action. Preferably, the pump portion extends through a wall of the aquarium tank.
Inventors
- 👤 Allan H Willinger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 23:10
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01K; A01K63/00; A01K63/04; A01K63/047
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
207 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank provided with a front wall, a rear wall, opposing side walls and a bottom wall to contain a volume of water therein, said aquarium tank being provided with a filtering device cooperating with said pump for clearing the water in said aquarium tank, said pump being disposed adjacent one of said walls of said aquarium tank with a portion of said pump extending through an opening provided in said one wall, means positioning said pump adjacent to said one wall, said pump comprising a piston housing provided with a piston therein, a tube disposed in said aquarium tank, said tube being provided with an inlet opening in alignment with said piston and an outlet opening constructed and arranged to be in fluid communication with said filtering device, and means for moving said piston through strokes between a position removed from said inlet opening of said tube and an alternate position in closer proximity thereto such that during each of said strokes away from said alternate position an amount of water within said piston housing is forced into said tube, whereby said amount of water by displacement causes a fluid flow through the filtering device to clear the water.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
207 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank provided with a front wall, a rear wall, opposing side walls and a bottom wall to contain a volume of water therein, said aquarium tank being provided with a filtering device cooperating with said pump for clearing the water in said aquarium tank, said pump being disposed adjacent one of said walls of said aquarium tank with a portion of said pump extending through an opening provided in said one wall, means positioning said pump adjacent to said one wall, said pump comprising a piston housing provided with a piston therein, a tube disposed in said aquarium tank, said tube being provided with an inlet opening in alignment with said piston and an outlet opening constructed and arranged to be in fluid communication with said filtering device, and means for moving said piston through strokes between a position removed from said inlet opening of said tube and an alternate position in closer proximity thereto such that during each of said strokes away from said alternate position an amount of water within said piston housing is forced into said tube, whereby said amount of water by displacement causes a fluid flow through the filtering device to clear the water.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 1, wherein said piston housing is disposed within said aquarium tank, said positioning means securing said pump to said aquarium tank one wall.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 2, wherein said aquarium tank one wall is said bottom wall of said aquarium tank.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
75 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 3, wherein said positioning securing means includes a laterally extending annular flange disposed on said pump, said flange being secured to an inner surface of said bottom wall disposed within said aquarium tank, said opening in said bottom wall receiving therethrough an electrical power cord of said pump for connection to an electrical power source to provide said means for moving said piston.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 3, wherein said positioning securing means includes a laterally extending annular flange disposed on a bottom portion of said pump, said opening in said bottom wall receiving therethrough said bottom portion of said pump with said flange being secured to an outer surface of said bottom wall disposed outside said aquarium tank.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
116 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 3, wherein said means for moving said piston are disposed in a waterproof housing, said waterproof housing being disposed around a lower portion of said piston housing, said opening in said bottom wall receiving therethrough said piston housing wherein said opening is smaller than said waterproof housing so that said waterproof housIng is adjacent an outer surface of said bottom wall disposed outside said aquarium tank, said positioning securing means being disposed on said piston housing within said aquarium tank so that said bottom wall is disposed between said positioning securing means and said waterproof housing, thereby securing said pump to said bottom wall.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 6, wherein said piston housing is externally threaded, said positioning securing means including an internally threaded member which is threaded onto said piston housing to secure said pump to said bottom wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 1, wherein said filtering device for clearing the water is disposed within said aquarium tank, said tube outlet opening being disposed above said filtering device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
92 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 8, wherein said filtering device includes a horizontally disposed platform defining an upper and lower compartment, said platform being provided with a plurality of perforations to allow the water to flow there-through, wherein cleared water flows through said perforations into said lower compartment, said piston housing receiving the cleared water from said lower compartment wherein said piston forces the cleared water into said tube, so that said outlet opening of said tube discharges the cleared water into said aquarium tank.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 9, wherein said platform is provided with an aperture to receive therethrough said tube.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 1, wherein said filtering device for clearing the water is disposed outside said aquarium tank, said tube extending outside said aquarium tank, said tube outlet opening being disposed above said filtering device for discharging the water into said filtering device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
85 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 11, wherein said filtering device includes a horizontally disposed platform defining an upper and lower compartment, said platform being provided with a plurality of perforations to allow the water to flow therethrough, wherein said tube discharges uncleared water into said upper compartment and cleared water flows through said perforations into said lower compartment, said filtering device being provided with means to discharge the cleared water from said lower compartment into said aquarium tank.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 12, wherein said filtering device is disposed above said aquarium tank, said means to discharge the cleared water into said aquarium tank using gravity to cause the cleared water to flow into said aquarium tank.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
59 words
A valveless pump in combination with an aquarium tank according to claim 11, wherein a housing connects said tube to said piston housing, said connecting housing being provided with a plurality of small perforations to allow water to flow into said connecting housing from where the water flows into said piston housing, but prevents passage of aquarium inhabitants therein.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
An aquarium device according to claim 1, wherein one opening of said pump defines both an intake opening and a discharge opening, said one opening of said pump being disposed within said aquarium tank.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
An aquarium device according to claim 1, wherein said filtering device is disposed within said aquarium tank.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
An aquarium device according to claim 1, wherein said one wall is said bottom wall of said aquarium tank.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
59 words
An aquarium device according to claim 1, wherein one opening of said pump defines both an intake opening and a discharge opening, said one opening of said pump being disposed within said aquarium tank for coacting with said filtering device which is also disposed within said aquarium tank, said one wall being said bottom wall of said aquariuM tank.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-29 | 1976-02-28 | 1976-08-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-29 | 1980-02-28 | 1980-08-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-29 | 1984-02-28 | 1984-08-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |